Staying Fit While Working From Home by Craig & Jenny Dumnich
Welcome to the new normal...for now. Most of us were expecting more free time now that we are home, but find ourselves busier than ever; homeschooling our children, working or figuring out alternative ways to bring in income, and contemplating exactly how to survive these changes and understand what they will mean for us and our family. While adjusting to the new schedule and the stress of the entire situation, you may find yourself more sedentary than ever which is wreaking havoc on the health of your body. We are here to guide you with some simple enjoyable steps to get you heading back in the right direction. Why do we need to move? Movement has more benefits than you may have ever imagined and is one of the most critical pieces to staying well during this time. Besides the basic benefits of body composition, did you know that movement: • • • •
Increases the feel good hormones in your body to lift your mood Helps to balance out stress hormones Improves the function of your lymphatic system to rid your body of toxins At moderate levels it boosts the function of your immune system
The repetitive contraction and relaxation of our muscles acts as a pump to our lymphatic system helping to clear toxins out of the body. When we are stationary, our lymphatic system becomes stagnant, much like the murky water at the edges of a pond, and drags down the functionality of our immune system. If we can’t clear the toxins out of our body that are already there, we won’t have the capacity to handle new ones coming in. So, get moving today and everyday to begin to assist your body in keeping you healthy. Here are some of our favorite ways to stay active right now while at home in addition to typical activities like walking, jogging, hiking and yoga.
Interval Workouts Set a timer with alternating rounds for exercise and rest and choose how many exercises and sets you will do. Here are the combinations we use most often: Seconds of Work
Seconds of Rest
Exercises
Rounds
20
10
4
8
30
10
6
5
45
15
5
4
You can choose any exercises, just make sure you are pushing yourself to work hard. The key is to get creative, make it fun and mix it up to keep it exciting
32 | APRIL 2020
WORKLIFE
